Hwajeonri Rock Carvings

SOUTH KOREA, South Chungcheong, Yesan

The sculpture was created in the late 6th century to the early 7th century during the Baekje period (18 BCE–663 CE). It shows four Buddhas carved into the sides of a large boulder. It was listed as Treasure No. 794 in 1984.
While those on the other sides are standing, the Buddha facing south is seated and presumed to be the main figure. The 1.2 m high seated Buddha is adorned with an elaborate lotus nimbus surrounded by flames, and the heavy monastic robe falls in a series of deeply ridged folds. The adjacent standing figure is more simply portrayed and his lotus nimbus is surrounded only by a plain rim. The heads and the hands of all the figures are damaged, but judging from the arms, the hands probably form either the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra or the varada (wish-granting) mudra.